While the Garden Isle of Kauai could have kept us busy for longer than just four days, Maui was just too tempting. Home to some of the world’s best beaches and the legendary Road to Hana, Maui is just one hundred dollars and barely an hour plane ride from Kauai. After all, the best way to explore Hawaii is to island hop.

Maui itinerary:

Day 1: Road trip the Road to Hana.
Day 2: Snorkeling.
Day 3: Brunch and a dip in the ocean.

Day 1: Road Trip the Road to Hana

I could hardly hold my excitement as my alarm went off—today I was going to drive the Road to Hana! After hours of research and planning, I was more than ready to see what all the hype was about; and let me tell you, this road trip does not disappoint. Check out my full blog post about the famous Road to Hana: Ten must-see stops along the Road to Hana.

Day 2: Snorkeling at Kahekili Beach

After 14+ hours spent on the Road to Hana the previous day, we decided to spend a little extra time in bed our second day on Maui. After sleeping in and counting our blisters, we drove across the island (east to west) to Lahaina. We had lunch on the water, soaking up the sea air with every bite. Next, we made our way to Kahekili Beach for an afternoon of snorkeling with the GoPro. As novice snorkelers, we enjoyed the calm water at Kahekili Beach. We spent the rest of the day in and out of the water until sunset.

Day 3: Go with the Flow

Saturdays are for brunch and when in Hawaii, walks along the beach. After a quick visit to Ho’okipa Beach Park—an ideal surfing destination—we found a delicious breakfast nook: Baked on Maui. After a tasty late brunch, we ambled our way to one of the most gorgeous beaches on Maui: Makena Beach also known as “Secret” Beach because not far from the parking lot you’ll find a secluded cove surrounded by black rocks. Riding the monstrous waves of Makena Beach was like a roller coaster, forcing us to go with the flow. I’ll never forget the feeling of flowing with the ocean, trying to soak up as much Maui magic as I could before our inevitable trip back to the mainland.

I packed in record time; and this time as we waited for our first of three flights to start boarding, I pulled out my Maui bucket list and started marking it up.

Day 1: Road trip the Road to Hana. Survive the “Divorce Highway”.
Day 2: Snorkeling. Wave to the fishes.
Day 3: Brunch and a dip in the ocean.  Flow with the ocean one more time.

I realized something as I made my last edit: I make all these lists of must-do things when we go on vacations and trips but never for the days in between. So for now, I just have one thing on my bucket list: just keep swimming and smiling.

Until next time,

Leah Pinkus